FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Former Members Of Congress Mourn The Passing Of John Lewis
Congressman and Civil Rights Icon Died At 80
(Washington, DC) -- FMC, the association of Former Members of Congress, today mourns the loss of U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). The Congressman and civil rights icon passed away Friday night, at the age of 80. He announced he was suffering with pancreatic cancer in December of 2019.
"John Lewis was an inspiration to all with whom he served and an example to us all,” said former U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Vice President of FMC. “John’s voice was clear. He was courageous and humble. He called us to a cause much greater than ourselves. John Lewis taught us that any fight for justice is worth making “good trouble.” He is soaring with the angels, and we will miss him tremendously."
John Robert Lewis had served the Atlanta metro region in Congress since his election in 1987. Prior to his time in the House, he was the Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960’s, and was one of the defining voices of the Civil Rights movement.
One of the most iconic photos of that era is one of Lewis being beaten by a police officer during the march across the Edmund Pettis Bridge to Selma, Alabama. Once being elected to Congress, Lewis frequently brought his fellow Members to Alabama, to join him in a walk across the Pettis Bridge on the anniversary of that march.
“I have spoken to hundreds of former Members of Congress about that walk,” said FMC President Pete Weichlein. “It is universally one of the most treasured memories they have and John Lewis remains one of their most beloved colleagues. Our prayers are with his family, and those he represented.”
Lewis was awarded with FMC’s Statesmanship Award at the FMC Statesmanship Awards Dinner in 2014. It was presented by his former colleague, U.S. Sen. Max Cleland.